UNU-IAS Fellowship Programmes

Every year UNU-IAS offers PhD and Postdoctoral fellowships to provide young scholars and policy-makers, especially from the developing world, with a multi-disciplinarily context within which to pursue advanced research and training that is of professional interest to the successful applicant and of direct relevance to the research agenda of their selected UNU-IAS or UNU programme.
The fellowship programme provides the successful applicant with a unique opportunity to:

• develop and advance their research under the supervision of a UNU-IAS or UNU faculty member and contribute to the overall research agenda of the Institute,
• widen their research interests and professional networks by working in the international and multi-disciplinary context of the UNU-IAS and UNU, and with its wider network of Japanese universities and research institutes, as well as international collaborators,
• become exposed to the workings of the international and multilateral policy process and the broader UN system, and
• link with other UNU-IAS and UNU PhD and Postdoctoral fellows.

The fellows are resident at UNU-IAS in Yokohama or UNU in Tokyo, Japan for the full term of the fellowship. This gives the PhD and Postdoctoral fellows the opportunity to gain from the broader research programme of lectures, seminars, workshops and conferences arranged by the UNU-IAS and UNU. UNU's close institutional links with Japanese affiliated professors and visiting professors from key universities and think tanks in Japan also allows fellows to link into the broader Japanese academic and research community. Since the start of the fellowship programme at UNU-IAS in 1996, more than 160 young scholars, 70% of which from the developing world, have benefited from collaboration with UNU-IAS/UNU and Japanese scholars in this way.

To Apply

An essential part of the application for both the PhD and Postdoctoral fellowships is a research proposal outlining the intended work at UNU-IAS and UNU. Applicants are evaluated on the following criteria:

1. The research objectives of the applicant and the quality of the research proposal;
2. the relevance of the research proposal to the ongoing or planned research activities of the applicant's selected Research Programme at UNU-IAS or UNU;
3. the applicant's academic merit and the potential for successful research while at UNU-IAS or UNU.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the relevant Research Programme representatives while preparing their application to discuss research options and programme fit.
The application deadline is 25 April 2008 (17h00 Tokyo time). For official notification click here

New Challenges for Foreign Producers: ‘China’s Manufacturing Competitiveness Is at Risk’

The recent sharp rise in China’s inflation rate sent a fresh wave of concern through the country’s manufacturing community, because even before that, the costs of running a factory in China had been steadily increasing. The consumer price index jumped 8.7% in February, year on year, the biggest increase in almost 12 years. Speaking at the closing session of the National People’s Congress, Premier Wen Jiabao called inflation the country’s most serious problem, and admitted that the target rate of 4.8% for 2008 would be difficult to meet.

For factory owners, inflation raises operating costs, as raw materials, transportation, energy, labor and land become more expensive. And for those owners, the timing of the inflationary surge could not have been worse. As the Chinese New Year ended, the workers returned to their jobs with more strident calls for higher wages. In China, the end of the Lunar New Year holiday is when workers negotiate and sign new one-year contracts. The rising prices of key goods – food prices rose 23% in February, led by pork at 63% – fuelled a renewed urgency in the workers’ demands.

“At New Year’s time, the workers went home, compared notes and discussed new opportunities,” says the American owner of a factory in Pudong who asked not to be identified. His factory has 35 employees, most of them from Anhui province. “They came back and dissatisfaction with our wages erupted. Two [men] came in and said, ‘You have to give us more money or we’re going to leave.’ They influenced all the other workers in the factory, who came to us and [issued] an ultimatum [to give] them more money, which we had to do.” Overall, he says, wages have risen 30% to 40% for skilled workers, and almost 50% for unskilled workers, since he opened the factory in mid-2004. Because there is such great China-wide demand for low-level factory workers, unskilled laborers have received bigger increases in pay.....read more

2008 Kyujanggak Korean Studies Summer Workshop

July 13 – July 25, 2008
Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies
Seoul National University

The purpose of the Summer Workshop is to provide an annual platform for graduate students and junior scholars of Korean Studies to gain exposure to diverse disciplines and scholars outside their institution’s focus, as well as an opportunity to network with future colleagues.

Workshop Introduction
Each summer the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies offers graduate students and other young researchers in Korean Studies the opportunity to study with the top scholars in the field at Seoul National University. Held this year from July 13 to July 25, the 2008 Summer Workshop will cover the following eight areas: classical literature, contemporary literature, pre-modern history, modern history, sociology, linguistics, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
This workshop will comprise of morning lectures and afternoon discussions based on the reading material. In addition, private office hours will be held by leading professors in the field for the benefit of all participants.
In response to the evaluations given by last summer’s participants, all reading material and lectures will be in Korean. We will be posting the reading material on the website in March in order to give participants enough preparation time before the commencement of the workshop. Tutors will be available to assist workshop participants with readings in July.
There is a 25 person limit on the workshop. Participants should be graduate students or junior scholars of Korean Studies based either abroad or in Korea. Acceptance will be evaluated based on the participant’s application.

For an application form contact the International Center for Korean Studies (ICKS) via email at icks@snu.ac.kr or by phone at 82.2.880.2586. Application deadline is March 31, 2008.

CHINESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP-2008-2009

LAST DATE: 31.3.2008

1. Applications are invited from Indian nationals, on plain paper, in the format given below, for the award of Chinese Government Scholarship tenable from September, 2008 for higher studies/research/specialized training in the subject fields of Chinese Language and Literature, Political Science, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Environmental Science, Fine Arts (Painting and Sculpture), Agronomy, Sericulture and Botany.

2. ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS:-

(a) Qualifications:-

i) Chinese Language and Literature:- Two or three years basic grounding in Chinese language (i.e. a certificate/degree/Diploma from reputed/recognized institutions).

ii) Fine Arts (Painting & Sculpture):- Should have obtained Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts with minimum 60% marks in aggregate.

iii) Other subjects:- Should have obtained post-graduate degree with minimum 60% marks in aggregate in a related subject. The selected candidates will have to undergo Chinese Language study for one year prior to undertaking study in the areas of their choice.

(b) Age Limit:- 40 years or below as on 31.03.2008 (i.e. born on or after 31.03.1968).

(c) Value of Scholarship:- The Chinese Government pays a sum of Yuans 1400/- p.m to all senior advanced students, Yuans 1100/- p.m to ordinary graduate students and Yuans 800/- p.m. to undergraduate students. In addition, Government of India is paying supplementary grant of Yuans 1170/- p.m. Government of China will also provide boarding, lodging, medical care and bear expenditure on tuition and other fees etc.

(d) Cost of passage:- Government of India will bear the International passage cost from India to China and back.

(e) Last date for submission of application:- Applications on plain paper (as per format given below) along with attested copies of all certificates/degrees/diplomas and mark sheet of qualifying degree should reach “The Section Officer, ES.3 Section, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education, A.1/W.3 Curzon Road Barracks, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi-110001, latest by 31.3.2008 (5:30 P.M). Applications received after this date will not be considered. Applications can also be submitted online at the Department website www.education.nic.in by 31.03.2008. In case of online applications, hard copy of the applications in the prescribed format alongwith required documents should be submitted by 05.04.2008 otherwise online applications will not be entertained.

Click here to view the official notification

The 16th Cultural Program for Foreign Students and Scholars in Korean Studies

The Academy of Korean Studies is pleased to announce its 2008 Cultural Program for Foreigners. As an important part of the mission of AKS is to cultivate scholars and young leaders who can contribute to the development of Korean studies, the Academy has organized this intensive cultural program for those in Korean Studies. The cultural program is composed of various components such as special lectures on Korea, intensive readings and discussions in Korean, field trips, excursions, and traditional cultural activities.

Program Period
July 24 – August 21, 2008 (4 weeks)

Language of the Program
The entire program will be conducted in Korean. It is crucial that participants have sufficient fluency in Korean to understand undergraduate level lectures and participate in discussions.

Qualifications and Application Requirements
1. Undergraduate students of second year or above and/or graduate students in Korean studies
a) Application Form with a photo (3.5 X 4.5 cm): You can download the form from our website at http://www.aks.ac.kr/EngHome.
Download : http://www.aks.ac.kr/eng_home/upload/notice_file/Application2008.doc
b) All official university transcripts: Photocopies are not acceptable. Records of all courses must be in Korean or English.
c) A copy of the score report for Korean language proficiency: Applicants are required to submit their score on the Korean Proficiency Test conducted by Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation (http://www.kice.re.kr) or the evaluation sheet included in the application form.
d) Letter of Recommendation (1)
(Letters of recommendation should be submitted in a sealed and signed envelope with application).

2. Professional researchers and/or university lecturers in Korean Studies
a) Application Form with a photo
b) Certificate of Employment
c) Curriculum Vitae

* Applicants should initially send these documents by E-mail or fax and subsequently send the original documents by mail no later than March 31

Period of submission
February 1 - March 31. 2008
Applications received after the deadline will be considered for the following year's program.

Notification of the Acceptance
Applicants will be notified of their acceptance after the Selection Committee has completed the review of applications. Acceptance letters will be sent to those accepted by April 20 by e-mail and announced at www.aks.ac.kr/eng_home/main/main.asp

Financial Support
The Academy of Korean Studies will cover the cost of registration, courses, accommodations, and meals during the program as well as expenses incurred during field trips and excursions. All participants are responsible for their travel expenses to and from Korea.

Arrival and Departure
Participants should arrange their travel to arrive and depart Korea within a period of 2 days before and after the program. All participants are expected to arrange their transportation between the AKS and the airport.

Privileges
Participants will have access to the facilities of the Academy, including the library, photocopy room, tennis courts, and so on.

Contact Address
Ms. Nansook Jung
International Support Division
The Center for Information on Korean Culture
The Academy of Korean Studies
50 Unjung-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 463-791 Korea
Tel : +82-31-709-9843 / Fax : +82-31-709-9945 / E-mail : lovekorea@aks.ac.kr